Answers (2)

Daniel reads the words "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN" and interprets them for the king: "MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; TEKEL, you have been weighed ... and found wanting;" and "PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.

A. Daniel Being Recommended,
Called, and Brought before the King
Daniel was recommended, called, and
brought before the king (vv. 10-16).
The queen mother recommended
Daniel, saying that an excellent spirit,
knowledge, insight, the interpretation
of dreams, the declaring of riddles, and
the solving of problems were found in
him. She went on to say, "Let Daniel
now be called, and he will declare the
interpretation" (v. 12b).
B. Daniel’s Answer to the King
The king told Daniel that if he could
interpret the writing and make its
interpretation known, he would be
clothed in purple, would be given a
chain of gold around his neck, and
would rule as the third ruler in the
kingdom. In his answer to the king,
Daniel said, "Let your gifts remain with
you, or give your rewards to another;
nevertheless I will read the writing for
the king and make the interpretation
known to him" (v. 17).
Before reading the writing and
interpreting it, Daniel reminded
Belshazzar of the experience of
Nebuchadnezzar recorded in chapter
four. Daniel regarded what happened
to Nebuchadnezzar as a lesson not only
for Nebuchadnezzar but also for all his
descendants. For this reason, Daniel
referred Belshazzar to his forefather’s
lesson in a rebuking tone.
Nebuchadnezzar had been severely
disciplined by God and, after he had
learned the lesson, offered praise to
God. Belshazzar should have learned
something from this lesson, but he did
not care about it at all. Thus, Daniel said
to him, "You his descendant, Belshazzar,
have not humbled your heart, though
you knew all this; but you have exalted
yourself against the Lord of the
heavens....The God in whose hand is
your breath and to whom all your ways
belong, you have not honored. Then
that part of the hand was sent from
before Him, and this writing was
inscribed" (vv. 22-24). Belshazzar was
not expecting such a rebuke.
C. The Interpretation
In verses 25 through 28 we see Daniel’s
interpretation of the writing. This is the
writing that was inscribed: "MENE,
MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN" (v. 25). This is
Daniel’s interpretation of the matter:
MENE—God has numbered Belshazzar’s
kingdom and brought it to an end;
TEKEL—he has been weighed in the
scales and found to be lacking; and
PERES—his kingdom has been divided
and given to the Medes and the
Persians (vv. 26-28).
D. Belshazzar’s Response
Verse 29 tells us of Belshazzar’s
response to Daniel’s interpretation.
Belshazzar commanded that Daniel be
clothed in purple, that a chain of gold
be put around his neck, and that the
proclamation be made concerning him
that he should rule as the third ruler in
the kingdom.